Is vitamin D deficiency serious?

If left untreated over time, vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious bone disorders. For example, severe and long-term vitamin D deficiency may result in rickets or osteomalacia.

Is low vitamin D life threatening?

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency rickets can be life threatening. Vitamin D supplementation is therefore crucial, especially in breastfed infants and some ethnic minorities (dark-skinned people, poor sun exposure), more at risk for developing severe rickets if not supplemented.

What disease does a lack of vitamin D cause?

These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.

Should I worry about low vitamin D?

Newer studies suggest low levels of vitamin D can be linked to numerous health problems including diabetes, pain in your muscles and bones, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and even some types of cancer. Studies of children receiving vitamin D supplements during the winter suggest a reduced risk of influenza A.

What happens if low vitamin D goes untreated?

Left untreated, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults, rickets in children and adverse outcomes in pregnant women. It may also be linked to heart disease, diabetes and cancer — although more study is needed on the topic.

Warning signs, risks of Vitamin D deficiency

How does low vitamin D make you feel?

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression. To get enough D, look to certain foods, supplements, and carefully planned sunlight.

How long does it take to recover from vitamin D deficiency?

“If you put people on 2,000-4,000 [milligrams] of vitamin D based on what their deficient value was, you can usually get them corrected in four to six weeks, which is when you are really going to need the vitamin D.

Does low vitamin D cause weight gain?

A vitamin D deficiency is unlikely to cause weight gain. However, it may cause other health problems or unpleasant symptoms, which are worth avoiding. You can maintain adequate vitamin D levels through a combination of limited sun exposure, a vitamin-D-rich diet, and taking vitamin D supplements.

Does vitamin D affect sleep?

Research links vitamin D levels to sleep quality. In fact, several studies associate low levels of vitamin D in your blood to a higher risk of sleep disturbances, poorer sleep quality and reduced sleep duration ( 9 , 10 , 11 ).

Can lack of vitamin D cause anxiety?

Research indicates that there is a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and anxiety as well as depression. Individuals struggling with a mental illness may turn to problematic behavior to mask the pain.

What are the 14 signs of vitamin D deficiency?

Can low vitamin D cause neurological symptoms?

Vitamin D is an important vitamin that plays a role in many different functions in the body. Vitamin D deficiency can cause a number of neurological problems, including fatigue, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating.

What causes vitamin D to drop?

A deficiency in vitamin D can result from inadequate exposure to sunlight, inefficient production in the skin, not enough vitamin D in your diet, and health conditions that can affect it including, gastrointestinal disorders, renal diseases, and liver diseases.

What is a critical vitamin D level?

Older classifications considered 25(OH)D levels less than 12 ng/mL to be evidence of deficiency because symptoms were uncommon when levels were higher than this. Today, 25(OH)D less than 12 ng/mL is considered evidence of severe vitamin D deficiency.

Does vitamin D affect hair?

One role vitamin D plays is stimulating new and old hair follicles. When there isn't enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes bald patches on the scalp and other areas of the body.

How quickly will vitamin D levels rise?

“Adding an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can make improvements in just three to four months' time. Vitamin D with a strength of 1000-2000 international units daily is the recommended dose for most adults,” Dr. Ropte says.

Does vitamin D help with anxiety?

Vitamin D (VD) supplementation could improve the anxiety symptoms but not depressive symptoms in depressive patients with low VD level after the 6‐month intervention.

Does vitamin D reduce belly fat?

In addition to reducing belly fat, taking vitamin D for weight loss has important implications in musculoskeletal health. A 2017 study found that combining vitamin D with aerobic exercise and resistance training can result in more calorie loss than exercise alone.

Does a lack of vitamin D cause hair loss?

“Both vitamin D deficiency, as well as vitamin D excess, may cause hair loss,” Chacon explains. A 2020 study in the International Journal of Dermatology found that vitamin D deficiency may also play a role in the development and severity of androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness.

Can you lose weight with low vitamin D?

“We found that those women who received vitamin D and whose blood levels got up to normal lost more weight than women whose blood levels remained low,” says McTiernan. “This suggests that keeping vitamin D in a healthy range could indeed help with weight loss.”

Can you get vitamin D injections?

In addition to oral supplementation, vitamin D can also be administered by intramuscular injection.

How can I raise my vitamin D level quickly?

Can low vitamin D cause joint pain?

Yes, multiple studies show that a deficiency of this vitamin can lead to joint pain and swelling. As Vitamin D is required for bone building and bone health, therefore a deficiency of it will negatively affect the bones.

Can lack of vitamin D cause mental problems?

Vitamin D is crucial not only for bone health but for proper brain development and functioning. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with depression, seasonal affective disorder, and schizophrenia in adults, but little is known about vitamin D and mental health in the pediatric population.